Rust PS4 & Xbox One Console Versions Spring 2021 Release Announced
Longtime PC-exclusive crafting/survival game Rust is finally coming to Xbox One and PS4 later this spring. Despite releasing nearly 10 years ago, Rust has greatly resurged in the last year or so, spiking dramatically in player count. This has suddenly renewed demand for the previously announced Rust Console Edition - thankfully, console players fans won't have to wait long to play it.
Rust has always had a dedicated playerbase, and it was wildly popular when it first launched. However, it was surpassed and overshadowed by genre competitors like DayZ at the time. After several years, though, Rust has had a sudden boom once it became one of the most popular games on Twitch. This got even more eyes on the title and led to the game earning over a million dollars in one week. That may not seem like a lot for a standard AAA game, but for an indie that released a decade ago, it's an impressive feat.
This popularity surge has likely helped get the console versions out the door sooner rather than later. According to Double Eleven, Rust Console Edition will release in Spring 2021 on Xbox One and PS4. While there's no native PS5 or Xbox Series X/s versions currently announced, it'll likely be playable via backward compatibility. These console ports are not being made by Rust's original developer, Facepunch Studios, but is instead being handled by independent developer and publisher Double Eleven.
A Rust beta will be ongoing for the next few weeks, likely to ensure that everything is good to go for its 100-player servers ahead of launch. The beta is currently limiting its participants, but will open up more over the coming weeks. The beta is largely being kept under wraps, as players who participate have to sign non-disclosure agreements.
Given the current high that Rust is riding, it's not hard to imagine that the upcoming console ports could further boost its sales and popularity. This is a game that fans have been hoping to see on consoles for many years, and it may be coming at the best possible time. However, the success of these versions will depend on whether or not the game is as stable and well-supported as the PC version. Given there's no concrete release date as of yet, it's possible there are a few things still in flux that need to be addressed during the beta.
Rust is available on PC, and it will launch on PS4 and Xbox One in Spring 2021.